<p>As someone who took the test once and is happy with their score (33 composite), here’s a few lessons learned.</p>
<ol>
<li><p>The Red Book is your friend. If you take at least one or two practice tests, you should have a general idea of what to see on the test. The ACT isn’t really about studying concepts, it’s about making sure you can jive with the format of the test.</p></li>
<li><p>On a related note, make sure you can work within the time limits of the ACT. I’m a naturally fast worker, so I didn’t have to work too hard on this, but I have a lot of friends that have ran out of time on various sections because they didn’t practice working quickly. </p></li>
<li><p>You can sorta study for math and English. For math, make sure you know trig rules and basic geometry stuff. For English, remember comma rules. I still don’t know when to use a semicolon or a comma and I’m lucky that I got a 34. Comma rules will cause people the most problems.</p></li>
<li><p>Science and reading are all about practice. If you become familiar enough with the sections, you should be able to handle anything the ACT may throw at you.</p></li>
<li><p>For the writing section, remember to write a five paragraph essay and to include a counterargument. It’s very formulaic. I got an 8 because I left off a conclusion.</p></li>
</ol>